Counter or register.



NO. '791.903, PATENTED JUNE 6, 1905.

' W.y H. HAWKINS.

GOUNTER 0R REGISTER.

Snom/Wo@ UNITED STATES Iatented June 6i, 1905.

WILLIAM H. HAIVKINS, OF EVERGREEN, ALABAMA.

COUNTER OR REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 791,903, dated June 6, 1905,

Application filed June 7, 1904. Serial No. 211,437.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. HAwKINs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Evergreen, in the county of Oonecuh and State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Counters or Registers, of which the following' is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in that class of devices termed counters or register-s, and is adapted to be used whenever it is necessary to keep accurate count and register of anumber of like articles or a series of different articles-as for example, a tally of lumber or a list of laundry or the like.

My invention consists in the novel combination of the several parts of the device, as hereinafter described and specifically set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying illustrations, Figure l is a plan view of the register with several of the name-plates partially and others totally withdrawn and with the balance in place. Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the lines a' .fc of Eig. l. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view showing how the indicatorbuttons are held in place. Fig. 4 shows the indicator-button and spring detached from the register.

In the drawings the letter A represents a tablet of any suitable material, preferably rectangular in shape, and which may be finished in ornamental design. Spaced upon the face of this tablet are any desired number of lateral parallel lines 01 rows of figures, each row of figures comprising the numbers 1 to 10 in numerical order and 10 to 90 in decimal order, so arranged as to increase from left to right. Each row of figures should end near the right-hand edge of the tablet; but they should begin a sufiicient distance from its left-hand edge to leave space for the location of the name-plates hereinafter described. Located between each of these rows of iigures and below the bottom row and extending a little beyond the first and last figure of each row is a groove et. The sides of each of these grooves are recessed or beveled inwardly, so as to form guides for the springs b, which are attached to the indicators c and c. Two of these indicators, which are preferably formed in the shape of buttons, are placed in each groove. The springs o are normally fiat and should be a little longer than the extreme width of the grooves a. Consequently when fitted into these grooves they will bend outwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, and press against the beveled sides of the grooves, and so prevent the buttons to which they areI attached from jarring or sliding out of position when they have been placed so as to indicate a given number. The strength of these springs should not be such, however, as to prevent the indicators from being freely moved backward and forward along these grooves when desired. Opposite and to the left of each row of figures the tablet is grooved or cut away to its left-hand margin, and the sides of the grooves or depressions Z so formed are either recessed or beveled inwardly. Fitting into these depressions are acorresponding number of naine-plates c, whose edges are so tongued or beveled as to engage and enable them to slide backward and forward in the recessed or beveled sides of the depressions (l. The outer ends of these name-plates c when they are in position extend somewhat beyond the edge of the tablet to permit their being readily withdrawn and replaced. These name-plates are preferably made of white silicate or slate cardboard, so that names Written upon them may be erased and changed. The back of the tablet is provided with a slate B, as shown in Fig. 2, preferably of white silicate and of approximately the same size as the tablet. rIhe perforation ffurnishes means for hanging the tablet to the wall.

In using this register the right-hand indicator c is moved to the extreme right of the groove a and the left-hand indicator cto its extreme left. As each of these grooves extend slightly beyond both ends of the rows of figures, the indicators when moved to their extremities will be at zero-points beyond the beginning and ending of the numerals. The names of the articles to be registered are written upon the name-plates, which are attached to the tablet. As an example of its use, suppose the articles to be registered are laundry. If there are nine shirts, the left-hand indicator beneath the row of numerals having the name- IOO plate Shirts is moved immediately under the figure 9 of that row, the right-hand indicator still remaining to the right of and belars is moved under the figure 5, and thel right-hand indicator of the same row is moved under the figure 20, the combined numerals indicating the desired number, twenty-five. It will be readily seen that each row of iigures can thus register any number of articles of a given kind from one to one hundred. If the number of similar articles be greater than one hundred, their name can be written upon any of the other name-plates and registered upon the corresponding row of iigures, or the name-plate immediately beneath the first bearing their name can be withdrawn, thus indicating that the preceding name-plate is to answer for both rows of gures. By means of the slate B upon the back of the tablet more permanent memoranda may be kept, the face of' the tablet being used to register current and the slate past matters.

I do not mean to limit myself in this patent to the exact construction here described. The

Y name-plates may be replaced by strips of cardwith and beneath each row of figures, and indicators adapted to travel `in the slots; in cornbination with detachable name-plates opposite to and so constructed with relation to the rows of figures that the name-plate opposite any given row of gures may serve to indicate the articles registered upon that row of figures, and also the articles registered by any or all of the succeeding consecutive rows of figures, substantially as described.

2. A register comprising a tablet having lateral rows of figures and slots placed parallel with and beneath each row of figures, and indicators adapted to travel in the slots; in combination with detachable name-plates so constructed with reference to the rows of figures that each row of figures may register the articles indicated by a corresponding nameplate, or that consecutive rows of figures may register like articles indicated by a preceding name-plate, substantially as described.

3. A register comprising a tablet having parallel rows of figures and inwardly-beveled slots placed parallel with and beneath each row of gures, indicator-buttons, springs attached to the indicator-buttons and adapted to travel in the slots and of such normal length that when fitted into said slots they will bend outwardly and bind against the bevel-faces thereof; in combination with detachable nameplates,sub stantially as described.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM H. HAWKINS.

Witnesses:

W. L. HAwKINs, 'I. J. SALTER.v 

